NEW YORK: A prominent US based Sikh organisation has approached the country's Transportation Security Agency (TSA) after it received several complaints from fellow Sikhs that they are being subjected to pass through undue security checks at various US airports.
Over the past couple of months the Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund (SALDEF) has lodged several complaints with TSA regarding Sikhs being required to either have their headgear patted down or in some cases removed completely, in violation of stated TSA protocols, prior to passing through airport check points at different airports across the country.
SALDEF has initiated dialogue with leading officials of the TSA to address the community's concerns, according to information posted on its website.
"Some Sikh travellers have been subjected to humiliating treatment at the hands of screeners who have not consistently applied TSA prescribed protocol," said SALDEF managing director Kavneet Singh.
"While safety is of paramount importance, all passengers must be treated with equal respect and not singled out solely because of their physical appearance," he added.
Hate crime in the US and Britain against Sikhs increased after September 11, 2001 as people often confuse them with Muslims. After the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York, a Sikh gas station owner in Arizona was fatally shot.
Founded as Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART) in 1996, SALDEF is a national civil rights and educational organization in the US. Its aim is to protect the civil rights of Sikhs in the country and ensure a fostering environment in the United States for the future generations.
